Through Four Seasons
by Ruining Hopes and Dreams
Summary: Through four seasons, an apprentice will change. For better, or for worse? Her perception of better is different to most.


**********I don't own Warriors.**

**This is for the "Four Seasons" challenge by Misgiving Writer on the Warriors Challenge Forum (link is on my profile). I hope you like it. :)**

**I didn't have a Beta for this, so if you see any mistakes, please point them out. Thanks.**

**This story uses OC Clans created by Ruining Hopes and Dreams and the universe is ours. They are BlueClan, RedClan and WhiteClan.**

* * *

_Newleaf._

* * *

"From this day forward, until they have earned their warrior names, these apprentices will be known as Leafpaw and Owlpaw."

Glancing at her brother, who had an excited gleam in his dark amber eyes, the tortoiseshell she-cat shivered with excitement. She had been looking forward to this day since she had been old enough to understand what it meant.

"Raventail, you are ready for your first apprentice. You will be Owlpaw's mentor."

Leafpaw could see the happiness shining in Raventail's eyes. The tom had only been a warrior for a few moons, and he already had an apprentice.

"You have shown yourself to be a loyal and intelligent warrior. See that you pass on these skills to your new apprentice."

Leafpaw's brother moved to touch noses with his mentor, bouncing forwards eagerly. Raventail and Owlpaw moved over to the edge of the clearing. Now Leafpaw watched Willowstar eagerly. She would finally find out who was to be her mentor.

"Smokeclaw, you are free to take a new apprentice now that Birchclaw has become a warrior. You will be mentor to Leafpaw. You a warrior of great skill and experience, and I know that you will pass on your courage and loyalty to Leafpaw."

Leafpaw walked forwards to touch noses with the grey tabby. The two walked over to where Owlpaw was bombarding Raventail with questions.

"What will we learn first? Will I learn how to hunt? Or... wait. Will you teach me how to fight? I really want to learn how to fight. Then I can fight off all the WhiteClan warriors!"

Stifling a mrrow of amusement, Leafpaw looked to her mentor.

"What will we learn first?" she asked.

"I think I'll just show you the territory first," the big tom told her. "The cove, maybe the borders with RedClan and WhiteClan if we have time."

"Can Owlpaw come too?"

"I don't see why not, if Raventail agrees," Smokeclaw meowed, glancing at the black tom in question.

"Yes, we'll go," Raventail decided. "Should we show them Three Stones first?"

* * *

The four reached Three Stones soon after they left, and the two apprentices spent some time looking around the place Gatherings were held.

Leafpaw had just worked out how the leaders got up onto the stones when she saw Smokeclaw gesturing her over with a flick of his tail. She quickly moved to where he was standing.

"Do you smell that?" he asked her.

Taking a deep sniff, the apprentice tried to place the scent. "Some sort of prey?"

"Yes, it is a sort of prey. Do you know which type?"

"Mouse?" she guessed.

"Shrew," Smokeclaw corrected. "Do you think you can catch it?"

Leafpaw wasn't so sure, but she wanted to impress her mentor, so she fell into a crouch she had seen the other apprentices practise.

Smokeclaw made a few corrections, before telling her that she could give it a shot.

Stalking forwards carefully, she followed her nose to where the shrew was sitting. She paused, before leaping. She misjudged how far she could leap, however, instead landing in front of the shrew. By the time she turned to grab it, it had scurried off.

Upset, she turned back to see Smokeclaw holding the shrew in his jaws.

"You have quite the leap, Leafpaw," he told her. "If you can learn to control that, it will come in handy."

* * *

_Greenleaf._

* * *

"Come on, keep up, Owlpaw!" she called to her brother, racing ahead with Stormpaw.

"I've got all this prey to carry!" Owlpaw protested.

"Yeah, but I've got more," teased Stormpaw.

"And I have more than both of you," Leafpaw added.

Growling playfully, Stormpaw leapt for her back. Ready for his attack, Leafpaw dodged, leaving him to fall flat on his belly.

"Clumsypaws," she taunted.

"That's it," Stormpaw mewed with a fake snarl. He nodded to Owlpaw, and the two of them leapt at her, pinning her down.

"Unfair!" she claimed, struggling against their combined strength. "I could have taken either of you if you hadn't cheated."

"Liar," Owlpaw mewed. "I could take you any day."

* * *

The three trotted into camp, carrying plenty of prey.

"Well done, Stormpaw!" called the tom's mentor, Adderstrike.

"Good work, Owlpaw," Raventail mewed.

"We've got more back there," Stormpaw told the two happily, gesturing with his tail.

Leafpaw glanced around for Smokeclaw, wondering if he was going to congratulate her. She couldn't spot him anywhere.

"Well done, Leafpaw." The voice was quiet, and at first she wasn't sure where it came from. Then she looked behind her to see Smokeclaw, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"How did you...?"

"You're going to be a fine warrior, when you learn to look behind you," her mentor teased.

* * *

"Let's try some battle training," Adderstrike said. "First, Owlpaw and Stormpaw can test themselves against each other."

Leafpaw watched as the two wrestled in the dust, Stormpaw eventually coming out on top. He yowled his victory.

"It won't be as easy when it's me you're fighting," Leafpaw meowed, bounding forwards to fight her best friend.

After they had fought for what seemed like moons, Leafpaw finally managed to pin Stormpaw.

"You win," Stormpaw told her, and she let him up. Leafpaw felt nothing but joy. She was excelling in her training; nothing could stand in her way. She had the best mentor in all the Clans. She had nothing to worry about, and no cat to fear.

* * *

_Leaf-fall._

* * *

"I, Willowstar, leader of BlueClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn."

Leafpaw sat silently, calmly, watching Willowstar pronounce the traditional words without surprise. She knew that this ceremony was well overdue—she could have easily become a warrior a moon ago—so she saw no need to be excited.

"Leafpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name: Leafpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Leafpelt. StarClan honours your courage and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of BlueClan."

If Leafpelt was completely honest, she was pretty disappointed by her warrior name. She had been expecting something unique and special, like herself. Not boring and plain, like Leafpelt. She kept those thoughts to herself, however, instead stepping forward to lick Willowstar's shoulder. She heard the others chant her new name.

"Leafpelt, Leafpelt!" _As it should be. They should all chant my name._

"Congratulations, Leafpelt," Smokeclaw mewed. "I must admit, you've changed over the past few moons. But I'm still proud of you, little apprentice."

_I'll let you get away with that, because you're Smokeclaw. Anyone else tries to call me 'little'; they won't sleep properly for a season._

* * *

All around her, she could hear cats howling in pain, smell the blood in the air, see the slash of claws, feel the fur of the enemy warrior in her teeth. She prepared herself to bite down, to end the life of the tiny weakling-

"Leafpelt, no!"

"What, Stormstrike?"

"Don't kill him; it's against the warrior code!"

"Then maybe the warrior code is wrong." The she-cat let the scrawny RedClan tom go anyway. She watched him cross the border before she turned on her best friend. "What did you think you were doing, interfering like that?"

"I was stopping you from doing something you'd regret."

* * *

"You've certainly changed from the young, naive apprentice you were all those moons ago."

"I've grown up."

"Don't be so sure that it's a good thing, Leafpelt. You might go in directions you never wanted. Lose the opportunities before you."

"I can make my own opportunities."

"Are you sure that they're the ones you want?"

* * *

_Leaf-bare._

* * *

Power.

She would be closer to it when she was done. She was a trusted warrior, a strong warrior. She should be leader. And she would be.

Leafpelt crept forward, her eyes focused on Rainstorm's back. He would be dead in moments, and she would be that much closer to being deputy.

The tortoiseshell took a few more steps forward before she leapt, her jaws clamping around Rainstorm's neck. Suddenly, she felt herself being dragged backwards. She was thrown to the floor, and a paw slammed her face into the ground.

"What are you doing?" snarled Smokeclaw. "I didn't train you for this."

"I can make my own decisions. I didn't need your training."

"You certainly chose which parts of my training to ignore. The warrior code, for example. Now. I must report this to Willowstar, so she can pick your punishment. For who you were, I hope it isn't death."

The tom stalked off, leaving Leafpelt lying injured on the ground.

_This is it, _she thought. _My dreams of greatness are crumbling around me._

It felt like several seasons had passed when Smokeclaw and Willowstar finally emerged out of Willowstar's den, though of course it had only been moments.

Leafpelt watched as Willowstar broke into a run at the sight of Rainstorm's limp body, letting out a yowl of grief.

_Would I do the same if it was Owlfur or Stormstrike lying there in the dirt? _Leafpelt asked herself.

* * *

"Leafpelt, you killed Rainstorm, BlueClan's deputy."

It wasn't a question, but she replied anyway.

"Yes, I did."

"You did so out of a lust for power?"

"Yes, I did."

It was hard. The Clan were gathered around, watching, hatred showing in their eyes. Owlfur was missing, probably unable to believe what had happened, and Stormstrike was still mourning over his father. She hadn't thought about her best friend when she had first thought of her plan. She had forgotten of the relationship between Stormstrike and the deputy.

"Then I pass judgement. You will leave BlueClan forever, never to return. You will not walk on our territory again, or you will be killed on sight. You have until sunset to be gone."

Leafpelt nodded. She deserved no less. She had made a mistake, one she regretted deeply.

She only hoped that Smokeclaw would forgive her.

* * *

**Uh. That was fun. But she did regret it in the end. :D**

**-Hannah**


End file.
